Invalid-bed.



T. L. FOUST.

INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 914.

Patented Sept. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnesses Inventor i 0 Attorneys T L. FOUST.

INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1914.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Witnesses Inventor Attorneys THEODORE L. FOUST, OF TEE/RE HAUTE,INDIANA.

INVALID-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed November 6, 1914. Serial No. 870,635.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE L. FoUs'r, acitizen of the United States, residing at Terre I-Iaute, in the countyof Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful InvalidBed,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to invalid beds, and one object is to provide anovel pan supporting bracket or holder which can-be readily adjustedrelative to the bed structure and which also constitutes means forsupporting I a mattress section.

A further object is to provide a bracket of this character which issimple, durable and efficient and can be constructed at comparativelyslight cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bed, certain ofthe mattress sections being shown out of normal positions, by dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bed, one ofthe leg sections of the mattress frame being shown lowered, the springmattress combined with the various sections of the frame being removed.F ig. 3 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. l is a plan view of theadjustable bracket and the'adj acent portions of the bed structure, saidbracket being shown by dotted lines swung out of normal position. Fig. 5is a perspective view of the bracket. Fig- 6 is an enlarged sectionthrough a portion of the mattress and adjacent parts. Fig. 7 is anenlarged end elevation of a portion of the bed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the bedposts connected by side rails 2 and end rails 3, the upper ends of theposts being connected by upper end rails 4. v A pair of cross strips 5is secured to the side rails 2 and supports the intermediate orstationary frame 6 of the spring mattress, there being hinges 7 forconnecting one end of this intermediate section to each of the two legsections 8 of the spring mattress frame. A head section 9 of the springmattress frame is hingedly connected, as at 10, to the intermediateframe 6 and bears downwardly upon a pair of cross strips 11 secured tothe side rails. This head section 9 hasa cross strip 12 to which isconnected an arcuate rack 13 concentric with the hingeslO andconstantlymeshing with a gear 14 secured to a shaft 15. Said shaft isjournaled within brackets 16 attached to the siderails 2 and hasa crankarm 17 or the like whereby it can be rotated readily. A ratchet wheel 18is secured to the shaft 1.5 adjacent one end thereof and is engaged by apawl 19 whereby rotation of the shaft 15 in one direction is prevented.

Secured to the middle portion of each of the end rails 3 is a supportingstrip 20 the upper end of which is connected to the lower end portion ofa channel or guide strip 21 which guide strip, in turn, is attached tothe middle portion of the top end rail 4;. Journaled at their inner endswithin the strip 20 at the foot of the bed are alining transverse shafts22 and each of these shafts has a spool 23 secured to it. Each shaft isprovidedwith a crank 2-41 or the like whereby it can be rotated readilyand a ratchet wheel 25 is secured to each shaft and isnorinally engagedby a pawl 26.

Secured to each of the spools 23 is a cord 27 which, in turn, isattached to one of the leg'sections 8 of the frame of the springmattress. Thus it will be seen that by rotat ing the shafts 22 therespective sections 8 can be lowered on hinges 7 or can be elevated asdesired.

It is to be understood that each of the sections 6, 8 and 9 is to beprovided with springs of the usual or any preferred construction and,for the sake of clearness, these springs have been omitted from thedraw- 1 ings. Furthermore, each of the sections 6, Sand 9 is adaptedto'support a mattress 28 which can be attached to the sections by meansof tabs 29.. engaging buttons 30 on the sections. Mattress 28 can besplit adjacent the foot so as to allow the separate leg supportingportions thereof to be moved independently by the adjustment of theframes 8 hereinbefore described.

The mattress 28 is provided with the usual opening 31 provided instructures of this character and under normal conditions this opening isclosed by a plug 32 formed preferably of a material similar to that ofwhich the mattress 28 is made, this plug being removably mounted upon abracket of novel form. Said bracket includes a cross strip 33 pivotallyconnected, as at 3 1, to an ear 35 extending laterally from one of theside rails 2. This strip has depending ears 36 to which are connectedthe ends of a bail 37 Parallel arms 38 extend at right angles from theends of the bail and pivotally connected to the free terminals of thesearms 38 are the middle portions of the sides 39 of a frame 10. @ne endportion of the frame has a handle 11, while the other end portion isprovided with upstanding fingers 42 cooperating to form a socket orrecess for the reception of the bottom portion of the plug 32. Links +13are connected to one side of the bail 37 and to one side of the framed0, these links being pivotally connected to each other as at id andbeing adapted, when in substantial alinement, to hold the frame d0practically parallel with the bail 37 and with the plug supportingportion extended beyond and at right angles to the arms 38. However,when the bracket shown in detail in Fig. is in normal or activeposition, the links 43 are folded out of alinement and the bail 37 isextended downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the frame d0 lyingbetween the arms 38 and the end portions of the bail 37 so as thus tohold the plug supporting end of the frame 40 substantially in alinementwith the arms 38. \Vith the structure thus positioned, the frame 10 willlie close to and substantially parallel with the middle sect-ion 6 ofthe spring mattress frame and will support the plug within the opening31. Spring bolts shown generally at 15 are secured to one of the siderails 2 and are provided for extending under the arms 38 and holding theplug supporting bracket in the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Whenit is desired to remove the plug 32, the handle ll is grasped and thebolts are disengaged from the arms 38. Thus the frame 4.0, while beingheld substantially horizontal, will be free to swing downwardly whilethe bail 37 is swinging upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 3 and, when frame 40 assumes the position relative to bail 37,illustrated in Fig. 5, the links 13 will be brought into alinement andwill form a. lock to prevent the frame 10 from tilting relative to thebail 37. lVith the parts thus positioned, the entire structure shown inFig. 5 can be swung about the pivot 34, thus bringing the frame 10 tothe position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4:. The plug 32 can then beremoved from the frame and a. pan substituted therefor whereupon, byreversing the operation described,

said pan can be brought to position under the opening 31. By providingthe bail 37, the arm 38 will be held extended downw ardly when bail 37is swung about its pivot 34 so as to come partly or entirely under thebed, the bail when thus located, pressing upwardly against the bed tomaintain the arms 38 in their downwardly extended positions. Thus areceptacle supported by the frame 10 between the fingers s12, would beprevented from tipping over and spilling its contents.

Vv hen it is desired to adjust the head section of the mattress, it ismerely necessary to rotate the shaft 15 so as to cause the gear 1 1 tomove the rack 13 upwardly. The pawl 19 cooperating with ratchet wheel 18will prevent the rack from moving downwardly.

Slidably mounted within each of the guide strips 21 is a rack 46 andeach rack meshes with a. gear d7. These gears are secured to the endportions of a shaft 418 journaled upon the railsand a crank i9 or thelike is provided whereby the said shaft can be readily rotated. Aratchet wheel 50 is secured to the shaft and engaged by a pawl 51whereby the shaft is held against rotation in one direction.

Extending from each of the racks 416 is a stud 52 on which is journaleda semi-circular frame which overhangs one end portion of the bed. Theseframes project laterally beyond the sides of the bed and by rotating theshaft 48 can be raised or lowered relative to the mattress. When theframes are lowered, the sheet on the bed can be wrapped at its endsabout the frames and secured thereto in any suitable manner after which,by elevating the racks 416 and the frames, the patient, if resting onthe sheet, can be raised and, by rotating the frame 53, said patient canbe caused to roll to either side and then lowered onto the bed.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an invalid bed. structure, ofa bail mounted to swing upwardly and downwardly, arms extending at anangle from the bail and movable therewith, a holding frame pivotallyconnected to the arms and movable to position at an angle thereto, andmeans for holding the frame parallel with the bail and fixed relative tothe arm, said bail being mounted to swing horizontally into positionunder the bed structure and to cooperate with said structure to hold thearms extended downwardly.

2. The combination with an invalid bed structure, of a holding frame,means pivotally connected thereto for raising and lowering the" framerelative to the bed structure, said means being mounted to swing about asubstantially vertical axis relative to the bed structure to move theframe into and out of position beneath said structure, and pivotallyconnected means secured to the frame and said raising and lowering meansfor securing the frame in a substantially horizontal position whenlowered.

3. The combination with an invalid bed structure, of a holding frame,means pivotally connected thereto for raising and lowering the framerelative to the bed structure, said means being mounted to swing about asubstantially vertical axis relative to the bed structure, to move theframe into and out of position beneath said structure, pivotallyconnected means secured to the frame and said raising and lowering meansfor securing the frame in a substantially horizontal position whenlowered, and means for securing the frame in a substantially horizontalposition when raised beneath the bed structure.

4-. The combination with an invalid bed structure, of a supportingframe, a cross strip mounted to swing in asubstantially horizontal planerelative to said structure, a bail pivotally connected to the strip,arms extending therefrom and pivotally connected to the frame, said bailand arms constituting means for raising and lowering the frame relativeto the bed structure and for swinging said frame, when lowered, aboutCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner a substantially vertical axis, and a connection betweenthe bail and frame for securing said frame in a substantially horizontalposition when lowered.

5. The combination with an invalid bed structure, of a supporting frame,a cross strip mounted to swing in a substantially horizontal planerelative to said structure, a bail pivotally connected to the strip,arms extending therefrom and pivotally connected to the frame, said bailand arms constituting means for raising and lowering the frame relativeto the bed structure and for swinging said frame, when lowered, about asubstantially vertical axis, a connection between the bail and frame forsecuring said frame in a substantially horizontal position when lowered,and means for engaging one of the arms for fastening the frame in asubstantially horizontal position when raised beneath the bed structure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE L. FOUST. Witnesses:

GEORGE WEBER, James F. SLADE.

of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

